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Nearly 8% of U.S. mortgages were at least 30 days past due in April but not yet in foreclosure. That was slightly higher than in March, but 16% more than last year, LPS Applied Analytics, which tracks the mortgage market.

Seriously delinquent loans - more than 90 days past due or already in foreclosure - also represented nearly 8% of loans in April. That was down slightly from March and up 11% from a year ago, LPS says.

Less delinquency eventually set new housing market recovery, but that's far away. About 4.2 million loans are seriously delinquent or in foreclosure. At current sales rates, which will take four years to absorb the inventory, LPS says.

"There is still much water in the boat, but at least we have connected some of the leaks," says Herb Blecher, senior vice president LPS. "Now we can rescue the company out."

Almost 4 million homes have been repossessed by lenders as the housing market began to tank in 2006.

Falling house prices are more likely to drive late payment. "There are a lot of incentive for people to leave their homes," says IHS Global Insight economist Patrick Newport.

However, other factors may slow the arrears, including:

• Fewer new problem loans. For every 100 loans that were current in November, 1.28% due 60 days in April, data show LPS. That's the lowest percentage in at least three years below the peak of almost 3% in January 2009. Rates for new problem loans are the highest in Nevada, Arizona and Florida.

• Loan modifications. In April, 22.5% of loans were more than 90 days in arrears one year had become current. That figure was 12.6% in April 2010, LPS, said. Last year, nearly 1.8 million homeowners received a loan modification, 42% from 2009, says the hope and the alliance of mortgage servicers, investors and others. loan modifications often include lower interest rates or longer loan terms.

• Improved quality of loans. Lenders have tightened lending standards for borrowers who receive loans are less likely to default.

In April, less than 2% of loans in 2010 was delayed after 12 payments. At the same age, over 6% of loans in 2007 and 2008, there were criminals, the data indicate LPS.

The foreclosure process is taking longer than ever, which is slowing the foreclosures from coming to market.

Recently there is an average 400 day period from the default notice until the day the bank reclaims the property. "That's up from 340 days a year ago and more than double the average 151 days it took to foreclose in the first quarter of 2007, at the start of the nation's foreclosure crisis.", says USA Today.

Experts say the the added delays although increase the homeowners time without monthly payments, the bank and loan-owner's losses become greater.

"April foreclosure activity hit a 40-month low, mainly because of processing delays, RealtyTrac CEO James Saccacio says. Default notices, scheduled auctions and bank repossessions were reported on 219,258 properties in April, down 34% from a year ago."

"In some cases, lenders are taking longer to begin foreclosing on loans more than 90 days delinquent because they're waiting longer to allow for modifications or short sales — when lenders take less for a house than what's owed — or other alternatives, Saccacio says."

Call The Pistol Tingen Team at 252-321-6161 or send us an email if you would like any information regarding the subject of foreclosures. We are a wealth of information; please don't hesitate to contact us with any questions or for advice.

The National Association ofIndependentownerspolled563membersfrom 21March to25 March 2011.

+About The National Association of Independent Landlords

The National Association of Independent Landlords is the country's largest provider of services for small landlords. Services include credit reports, electronic rent collection and tenant screening as well as information about property management, rental laws in all 50 states and other issues critical to property owners. Visit us at www.landlordassociation.com or call 800.352.3395.

30-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) averaged 4.80 percent with an average 0.7 point for the week ending April 21, 2011, down from last week when it averaged 4.91 percent. Last year at this time, the 30-year FRM averaged 5.07 percent.

15-year FRM this week averaged 4.02 percent with an average 0.7 point, down from last week when it averaged 4.13 percent. A year ago at this time, the 15-year FRM averaged 4.39 percent.

"Low inflation is keeping mortgage rates at bay. The core consumer price index rose just 0.1 percent in March, below the market consensus forecast. The 12-month growth rate in core prices was 1.2 percent, which is also rather low by historical standards.

Get the latest information from Freddie Mac's Office of the Chief Economist on Twitter: @FreddieMac

Freddie Mac was established by Congress in 1970 to provide liquidity, stability and affordability to the nation's residential mortgage markets. Freddie Mac supports communities across the nation by providing mortgage capital to lenders. Over the years, Freddie Mac has made home possible for one in six homebuyers and more than five million renters.

Washington, DC — Fannie Mae announced today that people purchasing a Fannie Mae-owned HomePath property will receive up to 3.5 percent in closing cost assistance. The initial offer must be submitted on or after April 11, 2011; and the sale must close on or before June 30, 2011 to be eligible for the incentive. Additionally, buyers must reside in the home as their primary residence (sales to investors are excluded).

"Attracting qualified buyers to the market and reducing the inventory of vacant homes remains essential to stabilizing neighborhoods and helping the market recover," said Terry Edwards, Executive Vice President of Credit Portfolio Management. "Since interest rates remain low, the incentive will go a long way toward helping even more families buy a new home so this is a great time for Fannie Mae to offer some assistance."

All Fannie Mae-owned HomePath properties are listed on HomePath.com and most listings include detailed property descriptions, photographs, community and school information, and more. In addition, many Fannie Mae-owned properties are eligible for special HomePath Mortgage and HomePath Renovation Mortgage financing, which offers homebuyers an opportunity to purchase with as little as 3 percent down.

Fixed rate mortgages have reached a new low this week says Freddie Mac. On Tuesday (Nov 9, 2010) the average of 4.24% fell down to 4.17% on a 30-year loan. 15-years fixed rate loans have a new average of 3.57%. 5-year fixed rate loans have a new low average of 3.25%.

These average rates from Freddie Mac are calculated by tallying rates country wide Monday-Wednesday. As we have mentioned before, you can expect rates to be different at different lenders and throughout the country. These average rates do not include fee's, which are also competitive and different depending on lender and customer's credit scores.

Call The Pistol Tingen Team at 252-321-6161 or send us an email if you would like some lender recommendations along with their phone numbers. We are a wealth of information; please don't hesitate to contact us with any questions or for advice.

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac now own about 25% of all foreclosures in the United States. It is being reported their maintenance and and carrying costs are now over $2 billion (aka $2,000,000,000.00) annually!

"Fannie and Freddie, which buy mortgages from lenders and package them into securities to sell to investors, own or guarantee half of all U.S. mortgages. Together, they have more than twice as many foreclosed homes now as they did this time last year, with a combined value of $24 billion."

With so many homes in their foreclosure inventory to maintain, the costs buildup fast. Fannie Mae, for example, pays up to $400 for an initial cleaning of a foreclosed property and up to $125 to have the grass cut two times month. Frequently the homes have so much "trash" left behind from the previous owner, there are additional costs during the initial cleaning. Another cost included with almost all foreclosures is a locksmith to re-key the property.

Freddie Mac currently has 82% more homes in their inventory than last year and the numbers seem to be on the rise with many foreclosure companies. So more than likely Freddie and Fannie's holding costs will continue to increase for some time.

Currently we are seeing more than half our foreclosure inventory in the Pitt County area being put "on hold and unable to market status" until officials have investigated whether the foreclosure documents were properly executed. This recent development is entering the second month, causing increasing losses from this inventory that is not selling. Mean while costs are adding up as all of these "on hold" homes still have utilities turned on and require normal maintenance.

"The longer foreclosed homes stay on their books, the larger taxpayers' expenses will be. "Taxpayers are covering their losses. We are the ultimate deep pocket," says Lawrence White, a New York University economics professor."

For more information about current real estate topics including foreclosures or for assistance searching for real estate located in the Pitt County/Greenville, NC area, please contact The Pistol Tingen Team at (252) 321-6161.

Over 19 million people are currently attending or enrolled at colleges and universities in the united states. Many of these students attend schools away from home and need a place to live, which makes this investment niche thrive! Experts say this market will flourish until at least 2018, when the last baby-boomer's children enter college.

Today's students look for homes with the most amenities, such as appliance-filled kitchens, furnished units and washer/dryers. Not often thought of, many students look for fenced-in backyards for their privacy or dogs. Almost always a rental with a fenced yard rents faster.

Investors can look forward to rental incomes that are sometimes 10-20% greater than with normal tenants. But on the other hand, time and money put into managing these kind of properties also increases by about 10%, according to an expert that owns over 50 rental homes across the United States. In Greenville, NC the East Carolina University student properties are almost always occupied with renters, but these type of homes do have more turn over due to a young lifestyle and roommates that come and go. Single-families stay at rental houses longer than students typically.

Pitt County and ECU offer a lot of opportunity for investors and landlords! We enjoy a growing student population that will soon have a major increase with the new Dental School, which starts their first class in August of 2011. "East Carolina University is the academic home to over 27,000 students and is a constituent member of The University of North Carolina", according to their website. There are always good potential rentals in our market for sale, including quite a few single family homes, duplexes and an apartment building from time-to-time.

Would you like more tips? Want a free list of potential university rental properties to look at? Please call or email us, we are happy to help whether you are a seasoned or new investor!

A recent survey given to 55+ Home Buyers shows what their 10 most important design features are. This can be important information to you when selling a home or when buying and thinking of selling down the road. Surprisingly a downstairs master bedroom isn't higher on the list! --In Pitt County and the Greenville Area, we as Realtors get asked more often about what floor the master bedroom is on than if the house comes with a washing machine.

90% - Washer/Dryer in the Home

84% - Storage Space

81% - Windows that Open Easily

73% - Garage Door Opener

73% - Easy-to-use Thermostat

71% - Master Bedroom on 1st Floor

67% - Private Patio

66% - Porch

65% - Attached Garage

64% - Bigger Bathrooms.

For more information about current real estate topics including selling your home or for assistance searching for real estate located in the Pitt County/Greenville, NC area, please contact The Pistol Tingen Team at (252) 321-6161.

Fannie Mae-owned foreclosed properties are currently available for purchase to owner-occupied buyers before investors have an opportunity to buy them. Fannie Mae calls this program First Look and has offered this incentive for a little more than a year, and recently revamped the program to include some HUD homes. In the Greenville, NC-Pitt County area, the First Look time period is typically the first 15 days the property is initially on the market. Fannie Mae has made it easy to see what day of First Look the listing is on by visiting www.HomePath.com.

Home owners who plan to occupy a purchased home can put a property under contract during the first 15 days of the listings life. While investors, who typically buy about 70% of all foreclosures, have to wait until the First Look period is over with; ie: day 16. Fannie Mae says, "While investors play an important role in the REO market, home buyers who intend to occupy a home make an immediate and lasting commitment to the community and therefore merit priority consideration in the REO sales process." This program is making some inventory sit on the market longer than you would expect; even up to 90 days before investors can make an offer.

The truth of the matter is that most foreclosure and bank owned properties are in unlivable or undesirable conditions and are generally not the type of homes owner-occupants purchase. Buyers typically do not want a lot of clean-up and projects to work on when they first buy and move into a home. Plus, many foreclosure homes will not qualify for conventional loans because of even small defects in the properties, such as a hole in a wall. This means foreclosure homes cater to investors because investors more often have the resources to renovate these distressed properties.

From The Pistol Tingen Team’s experience Fannie Mae's First Look program does give more opportunity for home owners to have a leg up on investors. On the other hand, quite often the program is letting the wrong person buy the house. Which has actually made more deals fall through, foreclosures stay on the market much longer and end up selling for less!

Foreclosures typically are not in the pristine condition that owner-occupant buyers are hoping for. Or buyers can't get a loan because of a defect in the home. So, the owner-occupant buyer may by contract legally walk away from the deal during their inspection period. Thus the home goes back on the market, still belonging to Fannie Mae and the First Look period restarts at day 0. In this example, 30+ days of marketing time have been used up, for no deal and to start all over again. Our Team is seeing some single family Fannie Mae homes that fit this description go under contract 2-3 times before someone actually closes on the home. A lot of times it is an investor, who had realistic expectations to start with (that the home was in poor condition) that finally purchases the house. Ironically the investor will buy the home for less because the listing is now “old” and due for price reductions. And all the while the investor could have purchased and closed within a fraction of time and would have probably paid more for the home.

In a perfect world it is nice that Fannie Mae is giving such opportunity to these owner-occupants. But in the real world their program is clogging the market with aging, distressed properties while we are heading into the slowest marketing season of the year.

For more information about current real estate topics including foreclosures or for assistance searching for real estate located in the Pitt County/Greenville, NC area, please contact The Pistol Tingen Team at (252) 321-6161.